The present invention is directed to a splicing device for producing a light waveguide connection which utilizes a splicing element with a centering groove. The splicing device includes a vertically moveable member supporting the splicing element, and holding devices being disposed on each side of the vertically moveable element with each of the holding devices being mounted for rotation on a horizontal axle and having a clamp for holding an end of the light waveguide at an acute angle to the base of the splicing element. In operation, the ends of the light waveguides are introduced into the centering groove of the splicing element and when engaged in the groove are caused to move towards each other into coaxially aligned contact. After bonding or securing the light waveguide ends together, the holding devices are rotated as the splicing element is raised so that the cladding or jacket of the light waveguides are coaxially aligned and can be connected together either by the splicing element or by an additional splicing element to form an elongated splice unit.
A splicing device, which has a splicing element with a centering groove positioned on a vertically moveable member and has a pair of holding devices on each end of the splicing element for inserting the ends of waveguides into the centering groove and capable of rotating during part of the splicing operation so that the jackets of the waveguides are coaxially aligned with the splicing element for connection with the element or with a second additional element is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 014,220, filed Feb. 22, 1979, which application was issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,499 on Feb. 3, 1981 and includes the disclosure of German Offenlegungsschrift 28 07 806. In this known splicing device, the light waveguide ends are held at a specific angle of incidence with respect to the centering groove of the splicing element and when the splicing element is lifted up so that the free ends of the waveguides are engaged in the bottom of the centering groove, they are lifted into a horizontal plane with the ends moving towards each other until the ends of the light waveguides abut with their end faces. The length of the light waveguide, which projects out of the clamping elements of each of the holding devices, is selected so that the ends of the waveguides are coaxially aligned at least in the area of bonding or securing at the time the ends come into contact with each other. As is known, the degree of efficiency of a splice connection is very dependent upon how exactly the light waveguides are aligned before the final connection. Even a slight offset or inclination of the two axes of the light waveguide ends with respect to one another leads to a significant reduction in the degree of efficiency.
After the connection of the two light waveguide ends has been completed, the holding devices are rotated from the inclined position in order to achieve the elongated splice connection. In this position, the cladding or jacket of the two waveguide ends are connected to the splicing elements with the assistance of a bridge element which may be either a separate element or a part of the splicing element. Since the excess length of the light waveguides, which occur on the waveguides are rotated in the holding devices, would lead to a buckling of the light waveguides, the clamping elements of the light waveguides on the holding elements are first released. Since the light waveguides are loosely received in their cladding or sheaths, this excess length can be compensated by a longitudinal play of the light waveguide within its cladding or jacket. This also applies to a difference in length which occurs due to the bending of the light waveguides when inserted into the centering groove. This manner of working however, cannot be retained when the light waveguides are permanently connected to the cladding or sheath by a filling compound, because excess length arising due to the rotation of the holding device would lead to a buckling of the light waveguide.